Jessica Hood's Instagram bio gives a glimpse into the Washington, D.C., influencer's busy life.
"I love wearing many hats," her social media account says. With a combined 220,000 followers between Instagram and TikTok, 26-year-old Hood is a well-known figure in the D.C. area, especially among runners. So far, she’s finished five marathons, and she’s currently training for three races this fall.
That’s how she got her start on social media around 2021 — documenting days in her life, long runs throughout the city and things to do outside of restaurants and bars. By March 2024, Hood decided to quit her job and work full-time in social media.
The latest hat Hood has added: real estate agent.
“I started looking for houses myself,” Hood said in an interview with Homes.com. “I was like, this is so cool. I would love to do this not only for myself, but for others.”
In January, she started taking courses to get her license, and by June, she had passed her exams and joined TTR Sotheby’s International Realty as a solo agent.
“I’m always in a place where if I’m not being challenged, I can’t function,” she said. “I was like, I know how to make a video, I know how to manage an account, I need something challenging.”
Though her career is still in the nascent stage, Hood has already represented buyers in a transaction in Maryland, and she says she’s working with a slate of clients in various stages of the homebuying process.
“I love the thrill of it so far, but I think that thrill will only increase,” she said. “It’ll feel less chaotic as I get better at it.”
Did you always want to be a real estate agent? If not, what did you want to be and why?
The plan was a thing, and now we’re totally off the plan. I moved to D.C. after college and I started working in corporate finance — the typical post-grad.
I majored in Arabic, and I did also major in finance, but my primary study was Arabic, and I kind of knew that I was going to go into business anyway, but I was like this is the only time in my life to learn Arabic.
What interesting jobs have you held?
I started doing full-time social media for myself, and I also had a few management clients. If you know Pacers Running, I run their socials for their stores and for the D.C. Half Marathon and the Alexandria Half Marathon.
And I love race photography. So, I have continued to do that.
What is your dream home?
A Capitol Hill row home. That’s the dream.
And my biggest priority in a home is that it’s good for hosting.
What are your hobbies?
I’m training for the Grindstone 100K. I really try to prioritize running and strength training.
